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(N0 Model.)

T. H. ANDREWS. SUPPORT FOR STAGE SOENERY.

No. 559,562. Patented May 5,1896.

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raw/4% UNITED STATES I ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS II. ANDREWS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IIARRY W. MOROSCO, OF SAME PLACE.

SUPPORT FOR STAG E-SCENERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,562, dated May 5, 1896. Application filed March 2, 18 96. Serial No. 581 ,458. N0 model-l To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Supports for Stage-Scenery Set Pieces; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a device for supporting such portions of stage-scenery as have to be set up hastily and at points where there are no wall or other side supports, such pieces being known as set pieces.

It consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear View of a set piece, the device being folded. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, showing it in its use.

In the use of scenery upon theatrical stages, in addition to the larger flats which are supported in channeled guides from top and bottom, there are many small pieces varying in height from two to ten feet which must be rapidly placed at various points on the stage and generally distant from any possible side support. These are known as set pieces, and it has hitherto been the custom to have them fitted with staples, into which hook-rods are engaged, these rods extending downward at an angle from the point of attachment and having screw-eyes passing through the lower ends, these screw-eyes being hastily screwed into the stage-floor at points where the pieces are to be supported. Much time is taken in attaching and detaching these braces and screw-eyes and in securing them to the floor, and in addition they are very apt to be lost in transportation, as in the case of traveling companies, which causes considerable annoyance as well as additional expense.

In my invention, A represents the set piece which is to be supported.

Bis a bar or plate,preferably of metal, which is pivoted to the bottom of the piece at d, so as to be turnable about its vertical axis and either lie in the plane and flush with the bottom of the part A or be turned so as to stand transversely or at any desired angle therewith and thus support it. In order to fit these parts together, I have shown the framework or partA having a depression out in the bottom, as shown at a, of a depth equal to the thickness of the swivel-bar B, so that this bar when turned in line with the bottom of the frame is flush with it and the bottom of the bar and the bottom of the frame are in the same line. When the bar is turned transversely, it will be manifest that it will be on the same level with the ends of the frame, and the device will thus stand steadily without any tilting or unsteadiness of position.

O is a brace-rod, the lower end of which is riveted or otherwise secured to one end of the bar B. This brace-rod extends up behind the frame A, and its upper end is pivoted in line with the fulcrum-pin of the bar B, so that the brace-rod may turn simultaneously with the bar itself. In the present case I have shown the bar B pivoted at d to the bottom of a vertical bar D, which is secured to the frame A, and has an outwardly-turned lug d at the top. This has a hole made in it, and the upper end of the brace-rod O is turned at such an angle as to have a vertical portion extending into this hole, thus forming ahinge or swivel about which it may turn, so that the bar B and the rod 0 moving together may be turned to lie approximately fiat against the side of the frame A forstorage or transportation when not in use. One or more of these supports may be attached to any set piece, depending upon its length. If a piece be very long, it is sometimes preferable to have two of these braces. The piece is then easily turned down (if standing on end) and the supports rapidly turned to an angle with the bottom of the frame, thus supporting it steadily and allowing it to be placed at any desired point. When the piece is to be stored, the braces-are again folded up so as to be out of the way, and as they are always attached to the parts where they are to be used there is no chance for loss or time lost in finding them if misplaced.

I am also enabled to do away with the screweyes and the necessity for making numberless holes in the stage-floor wherever these pieces have to be placed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A support for set pieces of stage-scenery consisting of a horizontally-swiveled plate pivoted to the bottom of the movable frame, and capable of being turned from the line of the bottom to any desired angle therewith and a brace-rod connected with the rear end of the plate having the upper end pivoted to the frame so as to turn simultaneously with the swivel-plate.

2. A support for set pieces of stage-scenery consisting of a bar pivoted at the bottom of the frame, a channel formed in the bottom of the frame to be supported, equal in depth to THOMAS H. ANDREWS.

lVitnesses S. H. NOURSE, JEssrE C. BRonIE. 

